Improvement in switches



@nitri gisten jstrut @Hirn WILLIAM I. PAT'ION,OF HRRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASS'IGNOR TO HIMSELF, TIIEOPII- ILUS WEAVER, AND ISAAC LLOYD, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 70,109', fated October 22, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN SWITCHES.

'ro ALL WHoM rr MAYeoNCERN= Be it known that-,1, WILLIAM P. PATTON, el' Harrisburg, ecunty of Dauphin, and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented a new and Yuseful Improvement on a Switch-Stand and Lock; and Ido hereby declare the foilowing to he a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference-being had to vthe annexed drawings, making a lpart of this specification, in which.-

' Figure 1 represents aperspcetive view of the switch-stand.

Figure 2, a section through the key, lock, guard, arch, &e. Figure 3, showing lock, locking-bolt, and spring. Figure 4, showing the disk. Figure 5, showing the disk and the key. Figure 6, showingkeyvhole plate and part'of the lever. Figure 7, showing partly'the outside of lock, guard, and lever, partly a. section through look, guard, &e. Figure 8, showing the boltholes in arch. The nature of invention consists in constructing, combining, and arranging the several parts of this switch-stand 'and lock so that', the. key-.eran only he takenfromv the lock when the switchA is in connection with f the main track, andthere securely locked. l

The switch-stand A, tig. 1, Ais made substantially the same -in' form as the ordinary upright lever switchstand, 'with this'exception, that the arch B upon our improved stand has vits sides parallel, and is without the projectionsthat are formed upon the ordinary staudfor the detention of the lever V. Upon the said arch B, at its' ends bf, two shoulders are Inade, upon which the ends of `the guard C rest, and are firmly fastened. Said guardl haspits edgescurved, forming-arcs of two concentric circles, whose centre is at thc point c. This guard is made-ofv such width that the lower edge or are of the minorcircle shall nearly touch the barrel of the key, when said key is inserted inthe lock, as shown in iig. 1. The purpose of the guard C is to hold the lever in its proper position against the arch. Between the guard and the arch a space interv'cnes for the reception of the lever. Said lever' has itsfulcrum at d', and is intended tofcommunicate motion to the track in the ordinary manner, and is connected with it'by a ground rod at the lower end. Upon this lever, at a point just below the arch, the body of the lock E -is rigidly attached in such manner as to be limmovable until the lever itself is removed from the stand. The lock-bodyfis offsueh size, vin relation to the operating mechanism in it, as will insure a, proper degree of strength. In said ybody a rectangular hole is formed nearly throughout its entire length. This hole or cavity has its upper end open for the reception of the locking-bolt F. This bolt is rectangular, and of such length as to permit its upperend to project a proper distance above the lock-body, when the lock is locked, while at the same time its lower end is in connection withv the disk. This connection is effected by forming a groove or channel, G, in the body `ot' the holt, near its lowerA ond, on the side vnext the disk 1I. This groove has its sides parallel with the lower endot the'bolt, and is ofvsuicienth depth and width'to receive the connecting-pin formed on Mdisk. Thisalisk is insertcdf-in ar'un'd hole or recess, that is formed in the lockbody at rightailgles to the cavity that contains the locking-holt. Said-round hole is made of' such depth n .relation to the bolt-cavity as to cut into it, thus exposing the groove in the locking-bolt F, when said bolt is in place. The intersection of these holes forms two 1abutmen'ts at the bottom of the round holeu-ponl which the disk rests and revolves. lThis disk is made circular in form, and of proper thickness, andl has the connecting.,

pin before mentioned projecting from the side,'that is, in contact-with the.` locking-bolt, as shown in figs. 3 and 4. It also supports the kcy-post YI upon its `.opposite side. This key-post is cylindrical in form, and isiirmly inserted in the body of the disk 1I. `It is provided with the sleeve K', so'ttcd as to revolve easily upon it. Said sleeve is retained ,place hy having one of its ends in contact with the disk, and the other against a shoulder, formed on the outer endof thc key-post. This sleeve is designed to prevent the lock 1eeing unlocked with'nippers or similar instruments.` Disk Ilis also provided with an` indentation or hole, L, for receiving a boss o r projection, L', that is formed upon tlic ward of the key N. '.t a point, M, on disk H, a pin or shoulder projects. (Seefigs. 4 and 5.) On the key-hole plate a similar projection, 0,r is formed, against which the projection impinges when the` lock is locked, thus preventing the key. from being turned in thc wrong direction. It will be noticed upon inspection of figs. 4 and 5 that the hole L, pin p', and key-post have their centres in a right line when the lock is locked. It will also be observed that the projection O, on plate R, is a short distance out of said line o' their centres. Under bolt F a spiral spring, I), is placed. It is made of proper strength, and bears against the lower end of the bolt, for the purpose of supporting it, and aiding theaction of the key. The keyhole plate R is fastened securely to the body of the lock, and is so formed as to make a suitable facing for it. Said plate is provided with a circular boss, S, in which the key-hole is formed. Said boss fits neatly in and passes entirely through a hele which is formed in the lever for its reception. The key-hole is made to admit the key readily, and is dared or widenedfrom they inner side outwardly, as shown in iig.' 2 at R. The key-hole plate also has a circulariiange, Y, projecting from its inner surface, which nearly touches the disk and keeps it in place. The guard has a notch eut in its 'lower edge, at a pointf-T, directly opposite the hole in the arch B. This notch is of a proper size to admit the key, or to release it, when the lever'is in a perpendicular position. The arch of the switch-stand has three holes, b b b', formed in its under side.' These are formed for the reception of the locking-bolt. The holes b b' are to lock the switch, when it is turned for a siding. The centre hole, b, is intended to lock the same on the main track. The holes b b are made of less depth than the centre hole. Immediately below the key-hole (see iig. l) a curved projection,- 3U, is formed upon the lever V. This is of the same thickness as the guard C, and consequ'enily its outside surface is'in the same plane with the outside of guard C, and it extends around the key-hole until it nearly touches the lower edge of guard C. This projection answers two purposes: first, in connection with the keyhole cover X it forms a closed bar to protect the lock from exposure; second', it secures the key from icicles, that will form on the lower edge of guard C in winter.Y Said key-hole cover X is attached to'guard C immediately above the notch in its lower edge. (See iig. 1.) l A I The several parts of this switch-stand and lock being placed in proper position as they are represen-ted in tig. 1, are operated in the following manner:

The key beingnsertcd in the lock until the wardtouches the disk, the projection or boss L upon said ward enters the depression made for itsrcception in disk II. The key is then turned `to the right, until its ward strikes tlfe projection M, figs. 4 and 5,-which, from its position in relation to the key-post, permits the ward of the key to pass over the centre-ot` said post, and thus retains it in position, when the lock is unlocked. The ward-is of exact size to till the lateral section of the cavity or'space between th'e key-hole plate R andthe disk H, thereby retaining the boss on said ward in the indentation made for it in the disk, and preventing thekey from being released or withdrawn, after'it has Vbeen yturned beyond the key-hole. The disk is made te turn by the action of the key, and communicates its motion to the bolt, by means of the pin travelling in the groove in bolt E. The bolt being depressed in the mannerabove described, theleverican be moved andthe track adjusted to either siding that may be desired. In moving the lever the key is carried away with it from the notch in thc` guard C, and consequently cannot be released or taken out, asjits motion is contingent upon the ascent of the bolt, and said bolt is prevented from having its fullthrow,.`by the holes b b being of less depth than l1, but ofl sufiicieut depth to hold the lever, and consequently the switch, upon the sidngs. In returning the lever to, a vertical position, the switch isreturned to the main track. The key can new be released or taken from the-flock by locking the same, the centre hole being of suliicicntdepth to permit thcvi'ull threw or ascent of the'loel'ringbolt F. When locked said belt cannot be forced dorm by external pressure, as the pin lo in groove G is in a vertical line with thecentr'e of disk, and consequently rupon a dead-point.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l l I claim a lock so constructed as that the .key can only be withdrawn when the bolt is completely thrown, when the same is used in combination with thc operating mechanism of a railroad switch, and so arranged. in relation to the bolt-holes as that the bolt can only be entirely thrown when the switch is inmconncction with the main track, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subseribingavitncsses.

WM. P. IATTON.

Witnesses:

R. MASON, C. F. CLAUSEN. 

